Manus Dei
The Manus Dei are the most elite warriors in the empire, being the personal army and bodyguards of the Royal Bloodline itself. These warriors are chosen only from within and trained from birth for the purpose of serving as the emperor's elite tools.. These warriors specialize more in single combat, often used in duels or championships, but are still considered fierce on the battlefield. Their armaments consist of smaller plated armor mixed in with hardened leather, specializing with the two-handed katana. They wear masks sculpted in the form of many different animals, their faces painted in a permanent snarl. The Manus Dei are the elite fighting force founded by the first Emperor, Vor’Mar. Who after his self imposed exile returned from the great mountain that is now known as The Anvil of Vor’Mar, laid forth a Prophecy of his return. In the Prophecy he names the Manus Dei as the guides who would help his descendants pave the way for his return to the mortal realm. Also within the Prophecy he explains in great detail the purpose, philosophy, and rituals that define the greatly fearsome warriors. The Manus Dei only accept from those of the purest royal blood. Once an Emperor or Empress chooses their heir, it is quite common for their siblings to attempt to join the Manus Dei, as it is the greatest honor in the Dominion, save for being an Emperor or Empress. The Manus Dei live to serve their master in whatever way they can. Keeping this in mind, the Manus Dei train in a wide range of combat talents. From advanced combat techniques to strategic and tactical command. They are the Dominion’s greatest tool, versatile, deadly, and ruthlessly efficient, they excel in any martial challenge put before them. 'The Seven Tenets' The Manus Dei philosophy is built around seven tenets put forth by Vor’Mar in the original Prophecy. They are as follows: *'Ruthlessness and Efficiency':' '''The Manus Dei finish any mission, no matter how great or impossible put forth by the Emperor. They will finish their mission at any cost, and they will do so quickly and thoroughly or die trying. *'Deception': The Manus Dei will constantly keep deception at the heart of their strategies, whether it be a false retreat on the battlefield to lead an enemy into an ambush, or assuming an entirely different identity behind enemy lines to further the goals of the Dominion, it is at the core of their strategic doctrine. *'Courage':' The Manus Dei face all challenges with no fear, they face the possibility of death with joy if it helps the Dominion gain even the slightest advantage. This does not mean they are foolhardy, far from it, they will do their best to preserve themselves so they may serve the Dominion as long and as best as they possibly can, but death does not scare them, and no matter how impossible the odds they face may be, they will charge forth with no fear in their hearts. *'''Rectitude:' '''The Manus Dei strive to live in a way to please the Emperor, as they, and the rest of the Dominion, worship him as a living god. This often means adopting different customs from Emperor to Emperor, as long as the tenets are not at odds with living in a way that pleases their current master. *'Hate':' At the heart of the Manus Dei is a seething hatred for all other races of Emorta, to them, and the vast majority of the Dominion, they are inferior abominations that deserve nothing more than death and bondage to Dominion masters. They view humans outside of the Dominion as impure and unfit to even be considered human, almost as despicable as the rest of the grotesque horrors that walk Emorta. They share the dream of a world where all such monsters are either in the grave or in chains of service to the everlasting glory that is the Vor’Mar Dominion. *'''Obedience:' '''The Manus Dei will obey their Emperor, even if the command may seem completely and utterly insane. Whether it be to take on a dangerous mission undercover in another empire, or charge forth alone into a seething horde of abominations alone, they follow their Emperor’s commands to the letter and without hesitation. The only time the Manus Dei will disobey their orders is if they are used in a way that will severely harm the Dominion. *'Veneration':' Like all of the Dominion, the Manus Dei never forget the glorious history of the Dominion and the sacrifices of their ancestors. They revere and worship them as gods, never letting the accomplishments of those of their bloodline and the glory their Dominion’s past slip their mind. '''Joining the Manus Dei To join the ranks of the Manus Dei one must be of the royal blood. Usually only those of the purest lineage are accepted, however there have been exceptions for extraordinary individuals. Besides that, one must face three trials, which are as follows. The Trials *Trial of Will: The first trial is a test of the entrants Will. They must endure exactly ten hours of torture at the hands of the Meerari, during which their loyalty to the Emperor and physical endurance will be stretched to the limits. The Meerari will ask the entrant repeatedly if they love the Emperor, and if they will be forever loyal to the Dominion; they will constantly taunt them with offers of an end to the pain if they admit their lack of loyalty. If the hopeful admits that they are do not love the Emperor and are not loyal to the Empire, they will fail the trial. They will also fail the trial if they become unconscious at any point. If failed, the entrant is allowed to leave and try again once more, should they fail a second time they will be forever denied a chance at entrance into the Manus Dei. *Trial of Cunning: The entrant is put in command of a small regiment of Nameless slaves, the then has to pit himself with with the current leader of the Manus Dei in battle for an objective of the leader’s choosing. Should they manage to succeed in accophlishing the objective, they will be allowed to move on to the next trial. *Trial of Strength: The third and final trial will test the entrant’s combat capabilities. They will face the current commander of the Manus Dei in single combat to first blood; should they succeed, they will be immediately inducted into the Manus Dei for further training and future deployment.